L.A. Law's Larry Drake Dead at 66

Larry Drake, winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on NBC’s L.A. Law, died Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 66.

Though an exact cause of death has not yet been released, TMZ reports that Drake was discovered in his home by a friend; paramedics were called and Drake was pronounced dead at the scene.

From 1987 to 1994, Drake portrayed mentally disabled office clerk Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law, an unforgettable character who earned him back-to-back Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1988 and 1989. The role also earned Drake three Golden Globe nominations in 1989, 1990 and 1992. He reprised the role of Benny in L.A. Law‘s 2002 made-for-TV movie.

Drake followed up his incredibly successful run on L.A. Law with a string of small-screen appearances on shows like The Outer Limits, Fantasy Island, Star Trek: Voyager and Six Feet Under. His final role on television was Bishop Luke Bernard in a 2008 episode of Fox’s Boston Legal.

Voiceover work was a large part of Drake’s post-L.A. Law career; he provided the voice of Pops for more than 27 episodes of Cartoon Network’s Johnny Bravo,and also lent his services to episodes of Batman Beyond, Justice League and As Told by Ginger.

In addition to his work on television, Drake also cultivated a successful career on the big screen, appearing in films like The Karate Kid andAmerican Pie 2.

Do you have a favorite memory of Drake’s work? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.